Oil-pan construction



` A. SMITH on. PAN CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec, 5,- 1924 u N j Patented Dec. 22,(v 1925.

' UNITED. STATE-S PATENT onirica *A isaias v' ANDREW SMITH, 0F MILWAUKEE, VVIKSCOIVNSIN'.

OIL-PAN CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed December 5, 1924. vSerial No. 754,1713.l

the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to oil pans for internal combustion engines.

In internal combustion engines, it is the customary practice to draw the oil from the oil pan, but if this intake is positioned low enough to insure an adequate supply of oil thereto at all times there is also danger of drawing in sediment and harmful material and carrying suchvv matter in the oil stream to the several;bearings. y Y y This invention is designed to overcome the above noted defects, and objects of suchv invention are to provide an oil pan construction and associated mechanism which is so formed that means are provided for separating out the sediment during the quiet periods of the' engine and for closing off thesediment chamber in an automatic mannerduring the active periods of the engine to thus prevent sediment finding 4its way into the oil stream and yet permit the placing of the oil intake sufficientlylow to insure an adequate supply of oil thereto at all times.

Further objects are to yprovide automatic means for controlling communication between the sediment chamber and oil pan and to so construct this automatic mechanism that it will he'positive in its operation anda responsive to oil pressure and will be wholly reliable and substantially fool proof.

Further objects are to provide means for yieldingly urging a transverse slide towards closed position whenever oil pressure exists in the lubricating system so that if for any reason the slide should freeze tight to the stationary memberVV breaking of the parts will notv occur, and yet when the enginewarms up suif'iciently to freethe slide, such pressure will effectively act upon`` the slide and move it to closed position.

yFurther objects are to provide means'for removing sediment from the oil pan throughout the major portion of the extent of the oil pan and to provide means'for guiding the sediment into the appropriate passages leading to the sediment chamber.y f

f An eiribodimentV of the inventionv isshown in the accompanying ,drawings7 in whichz Figure l is a longitudinal section through the oil panshowing the operating mechanism partly broken away.

Figure 2 is atransverse vsectional view through the oil pan, such view correspondingl to a section-on the line 2 2 oi" Figure Y j Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the slide and associated parts.r Referring'y to the drawings, it will be seen that the 'oil pan 1 for the crank case is procui vided with a sediment 'chamber yor sump Q Vwhich Ais separated off from the oil pan by means of' a transverse partition 3. This transverse partition is provided witha plui ralit'y of regularly spaced apertures i-.which place vthe sump or sediment chamber 2 in communication with the oil pan. vImmediately above the partition 3 orstationary plate,

a slide 5 isl provided and guided by suitable* members secured to such plate. This guide 5 'is provided with a plurality ofapertures 7 which register with the apertures 4 in the plate l3 when vthe slide is inone extreme position of adjustment, as shown-in the figures of the drawing.

V The plate 3 is provided withupstanding pins or stops 8 which limit the motion of the slide,` and in this lconnection it has been found expedient to provide the slide with reenforcing upturned flanges at its ends adapted to contact with such pins. The slide is further provided with anupstanding apertured ear 9 which receives a closing'spring l0, the other end of suchspring being connected to a lug carried by thejoilpanv l. The spring 10, when it is effective, opens ,all of the apertures and places the interior 1 kends of the ribs ll are pinched together, as

shown clearly at 12 in Figure 2,V to prevent the accumulation of. trash beneath such ribs `whieh might'` in time interfere with ythe smoothf action of the slide.

A plurality of transverse oil troughs 12 are secured to the oilpan l and are adapted tocarry oil and tolubricate the cranks and lill pitmen and other adjacent parts by the dipping ot the pitmen or crank into this oil. These troughs are ted from a header 13 positioned vfithin the crank case, as shown in Figures it and 2, and provided with a plurality ot ports connected by means oiC small pipes 14T and 15 with the several oil troughs. The header is equipped with an outwardly projectine` inlet portion 1G to which the trash oil is ted by a suitable pump in the usual n'ianncr. The lower portion olf this header 155 is formed into cylinder 1i' which receives a piston 1r. The piston is relatiif'ely elongated and.is provided with a portion reduced diameter; as indicated at 19 and with an upper portion 2() provided with bleed notches 21 tor a. purpose hereinafter to appear;v The piston is freely slide-ble in the cylinder and is held upvardly when the engine idle by means of an arm oli a bell crans lever, such bell crank having' its other arm connected by means et a spring` with the ear 9 ot the slide as clearly shown in Figure 1.

llt ot courseA understood that the sediment chamber 2 is provided with al suitable drain plus' 24; to permit the ready removal ievm.

ot accur. ated material.

ln op. ation., when the cnojine 1s idle and no pressure exists in the header 13, the slide occupies the position shown in the drmvingsE and is vist the lett hand pins S, beine; held in such position by the spring 10. Communication is thus maintained between the oil pan and the sediment chamber and sediment is guided by the ribs 11 through the apertures into the sediment chamber. lllhcn however the en eine is started, the oil pressure immediately builds up and Jforces the piston 18 downwardlv thus depressing the bell crank lever arm 22 and tensioning the springV 23. The spring 23 may be relatively heavier than the spring 10 and thus overcomes the springe; 10 and moves the slide 5 to the rioht thus shuttine` ott communication between the oil and the sediment chamben When the eneine is stopped the piston 18 moves upwardlv and the slide is restored to its initial position.

ltv is to be noted that the bleed notches 21 permit the slide to move upwardly although the oil pressure may temporarily exist in the oil svstem. ln other words, oil is not trapped in the header 13 by the piston 18 when the engine. has stopped. but such oil is allowed to slowly pass through the bleed apertures or notches 21 and the slide is theretore permitted to move back to its initial position.

The purpose of the spring` 23 is to provide a vieldinsY connection between the piston and the slide. One oi" the advantageous features resultiuo; from this construction is that durine cold weather when the oil is very thick and almost hard, or when the slide 5 freezes to the plate 3, it would be impossible for the piston to operate it it were rigidly connected to the slide. However7 under these conditions, the piston moves downwardly and permits tree flow oit the oil to the de livery pipes 15 and 1li and tensions the spring 2e. As soon as the oil warms up sutliciently, the slide'moves to the right under the action oit the spring 23.

It will be seen7 therefore, that even under the most adverse conditions, no damage or interference with the smooth and practical operzion ot the device can resulti and it will be noted tui-ther than the device is protected at all times from. damage, as all parts thereof are housed within the crank case.

lt is to be further noted that no change need be made in other portions of the oil system as the delivery pipe leading' to the header may be connected to the inlet portion 1G in thc usual manner.

will be seen, therefore, that an extremel); simple, reliable and etiective construction has been provided for controllingcomny iication between the oil pan and the sediment chamber, and it w'll be seen fur- 'her that the improved oil pan construction may be mosteasily applied to existing` types of motors without change oft construction.

to be noted further that in the types es where transverse oil troughs are not employed tor the cranks that, obviously? the cylinder 17 and header 13 need not employ,7 the outlet ports. These ports may, of course be closed under such conditions and the device will operate in the manner described when it is connected to an appro-- priate point in the oil pressure system.

lt will, therefore, be seen that a very simple eiiiective and universally applicable construction is provided and that the device is positive and cert-ain in its operation and is not likely to get out of order.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be variously embodied and is, therefore, to be limited only as claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination of an internal combustion engine oil pan, a sediment chamber connected with the lower portion thereof, an apertured stationary member interposed between said chamber and oil pan, an aper- Cil mounted therebelow, andv separated therefrom by a ytransverse stationary partition provided with a plurality of apertures, a

slide carried by said partitionv and. having corresponding apertures therem, a spring urging said slide towards a Aposition to Vpermit registration of apertures, an oil cyl-A inder adapted to be connected to `the lubrimounted therebelow, and separated'there-v from by a transverse stationary partition provided with a plurality of apertures, a slide `carried by said partition and having corresponding apertures therein, a spring urging saidV slide towards a position to permit registration of apertures, an oil cylinder adapted to be connected to the lubricating system of the enginea piston mounted With- 1n said cylinder and movable under the 1nluence of oil pressure,'mechan1sm connected with said piston and operated therefrom,l

and a spring yieldingly connecting said mechanism and said slide. e

4:. An oil pan 'construction forv internal combustion engines comprising aV main chamber, a sediment chamber therebelow divided from said mainchamber by a stationary apertured partition, a slide mounted upon said partition and having apertures therein adapted to registerrwith the apertures yin the partition when the slide is in one eXtreme position, a spring urging the 1 slide towards aperture opening position, a cylinder carried by said oil pan, and adapted to be connected to a suitable source of oil pressure, a piston mounted vwithin said cylinder, a bell crank having one arm operatively .associated with said piston, anda spring connecting the otler' .arm of said bell crank lever with said sli e.

5. An oil pan construction for internal combustion engines comprising a main chamber, asediment chamber therebelow divided from said main chamber by a stationary apertured partit-ion, a slide mounted upon said partition and having apertures therein adapted to register with-the apertures in the partition when the 'slide isin one eXtreme position, a'spring urgingV the slide towards aperture opening position,y a cylinder carried by said oil pan, and adaptedto be connected. to a suitable source of oil pressure, a piston mountedwithin said cylinder, a bell crank having one arm 'operatively associated with said piston, and a spring connecting the other arm of said bell crank lever with said slide, said slide having a plurality of wedge-shaped ribs inten posed betweensuccessive apertures, said ribs' projecting upwardly and adapted to guide sediment to said apertures.

V6. An oil pan constructionl adapted for n use on an internal combustion engine having oil vpressure lubrication comprising an oil pan, a. sediment chamber associated therewith, a movable member controlling communication between said sediment chamber and said oil pan, and movablepressure responsive means actuated by the pressure of the lubricating oil, saidk movable means being mechanically connected to said movable membery Lfor impartingl motion to said member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of' Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

f v ANDREW SMITH. 

